
Staffing needs: forecasting, job analysis, job descriptions and alternative staffing
Sourcing channels, screening, skills assessments and structured interviews without bias
Hiring and onboarding lifecycle: background checks, offers, policy acknowledgments, NDAs, benefits paperwork
Recruiting metrics: cost per hire, time to fill, ATS and HRIS data
Tools: hiring kit; exam trainer with 15 questions, flashcards, memory and match games
Tools in this lecture
Files to download (1)
Ready to use on the slides (12)
Models and methods explained (3)
Orientation for new and internal hires and what it should achieve
Needs analysis, learning objectives and the five ADDIE steps
Training formats: blended, virtual, self-paced, instructor-led, on-the-job, role play
Change management and tracking training effectiveness with LMS reports and evaluations
Tools: training plan with evaluation sheet; exam trainer with 15 questions and study games
Tools in this lecture
Files to download (1)
Ready to use on the slides (9)
Models and methods explained (4)
Pay structures, job evaluation, grades, merit and cost-of-living adjustments
Health plans: eligibility, enrollment, HDHP, HSA, FSA, PPO, short- and long-term disability
Wellness, EAP and fringe benefits; 401(k) and 457(b) plans with catch-up contributions
Payroll: taxes, deductions, garnishments, differentials, final pay, total reward statements
Tools: pay and benefits calculator; exam trainer with 15 questions and study games
Tools in this lecture
Files to download (1)
Ready to use on the slides (15)
Models and methods explained (1)
Mission, vision and values and how they shape culture; HR policies and documents
Engagement: recognition, stay interviews, surveys, flexible work
Goal setting, appraisal methods, rating scales and rater biases
Progressive discipline, termination, offboarding, absenteeism and turnover
Tools: performance and progressive discipline toolkit; exam trainer with 15 questions and study games
Tools in this lecture
Files to download (1)
Ready to use on the slides (16)
Models and methods explained (13)
Complaint intake, confidentiality and escalation
Workplace investigation step by step: interview plan, evidence log, findings
Conflict resolution, documentation and protection against retaliation
Inclusion initiatives, cultural sensitivity and unconscious bias
Tools: workplace investigation file; exam trainer with 15 questions and study games
Tools in this lecture
Files to download (1)
Ready to use on the slides (17)
Models and methods explained (1)
Hiring and employee rights laws: Title VII, ADA, IRCA and Form I-9, at-will employment, EEOC
Union environment: NLRA, collective bargaining, WARN
Pay and benefits laws: FLSA, ERISA, COBRA, USERRA, the Affordable Care Act
Which employers each federal law covers; state law may be stricter
Tools: US employment law map; exam trainer with 15 questions and study games
Tools in this lecture
Files to download (1)
Ready to use on the slides (10)
Models and methods explained (2)
OSHA records, the Drug-Free Workplace Act and sexual harassment prevention
HIPAA privacy and Sarbanes-Oxley basics for HR
Risk assessment: evacuation, workplace violence, business continuity, data and IP protection
Restructuring risks: mergers, downsizing, offshoring and furloughs
Tools: safety, privacy and risk checklist; exam trainer with 15 questions and study games
Tools in this lecture
Files to download (1)
Ready to use on the slides (12)
Five exam areas and their weights; how four-option multiple choice items are built
Weighted readiness score against the 500 pass mark and a study plan by your gaps
Full mock exam: 65 questions in 1 h 45 min, flags, review screen and a score report by area
Exam-day plan for OnVUE or a test center; short overview of eligibility and fees
Tools: readiness scorecard and the 65-question mock exam
Tools in this lecture
Files to download (2)
Ready to use on the slides (7)
Models and methods explained (3)
This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.
The aPHR exam gives you 65 scored questions in 1 hour 45 minutes, and a quarter of it is compliance with US employment laws you may never have read. Here are 134 tools to prepare: 98 ready-to-use templates, checklists, question lists and metric sets, 27 models and methods and 9 working files, including a full mock exam.
Open a lecture, take the exam trainer for that area, and see which questions you miss.
Why aPHR candidates struggle
Beginners learn HR terms but not how they apply, US law feels like a list of acronyms, and practice questions are done without time or a plan.
What changes after this course
You understand each HR area with examples, know which US laws apply and when, practise every area and see your readiness as a score.
A note on the structure
aPHR, PHR and SPHR are registered marks of HR Certification Institute (HRCI). This course is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by HRCI. You receive a Udemy Certificate of Completion, not an HRCI credential.
What is inside: 134 tools, counted lecture by lecture
You do not have to take this number on trust. Open any lecture and read its description: every tool inside is listed there by name.
Where the tools are
Talent acquisition (1 section, 16 tools). Recruitment, selection and onboarding.
Learning and development (1 section, 14 tools). Training design and evaluation.
Compensation and benefits (1 section, 17 tools). Pay, benefits and payroll basics.
Employee relations (1 section, 49 tools). Performance, discipline and investigations.
Compliance and risk (1 section, 26 tools). US employment law, OSHA and risk.
The mock exam (1 section, 12 tools). 65 questions and a readiness score.
Who is teaching
I am Mike, the #1 HR instructor on Udemy, with 1,800,000+ course enrollments from 170,000 students, and the author of about 200 books on Amazon. I built the people system at Preply as it became a unicorn and worked at Wargaming, iDeals and Alfa-Bank across 20 years in HR. I hold PHRi, SHRM-CP and HCI sHRBP certifications and represent HRCI in Eastern Europe.
When I made my first certification course, I wanted certification to be open to more people than those fluent in English. So I showed the material in English and ran the lessons in Russian. The same method now prepares people for HRCI, SHRM and CIPD exams with about 96% success. Understanding comes first, and the exam language follows.
How to use the course
Study each section with its exam trainer, then take the mock exam. Section and lecture titles show how many tools are inside, and each lecture description lists them by name.
What is included
Where to start
Write down the exam area that is newest for you, then open that section first. Enrol now and start your first lesson today.